


My Best Habit

by pink_vnr



Category: Yungblud (Musician)
Genre: Dominic Harrison - Freeform, F/M, mgk - Freeform, yungblud - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-16
Updated: 2019-11-14
Packaged: 2020-12-21 18:27:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21060407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pink_vnr/pseuds/pink_vnr
Summary: "My best habit's letting you down."In which Dominic Harrison drags his best friend along with him on tour, having no idea she's madly in love with him.Inspired by My Best Habit by The Maine





	1. 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝙾𝚗𝚎 | 𝙸 𝙼𝙰𝚈 𝙱𝙴 𝙲𝚁𝙰𝚉𝚈

"Thank you guys so fookin much! It was good to be home, I love ya! Goodnight!"

I let out a cheer from my spot backstage, feeling the buzzing energy of the screaming crowd. I watched my best friend for five years, Dominic Harrison, or Yungblud, as he was better known as these days, bounce across the stage, slapping the hands of fans, grinning from ear to ear.

His energy was just contagious, so it was no surprise to me watching him become a star. He was magnetic, insanely charming, not to mention talented. He had a lot to say, too, messages that the world needed to hear. I was extremely proud of him... not to mention insanely in love with him.

But I'd never tell him that.

He bounded back stage, practically vibrating with energy. "Islaaaaa!" He screamed, wrapping me in a hug, gripping my shoulders tightly and loudly smacking his lips off the top of my head.

"Dom quit it! You're gonna get lipstick in my hair!" I squealed, laughing as he planted a few more loud kisses.

"Fine, if you insist." He lets me go, smiling widely. "Did ya like the show?"

"Of course I did, I loved it, I always do." I smile back, heart beating fast from the contact of his lips. Dom was always cuddly with me, it was nothing new, but it always made my heart race. I was pretty sure he didn't know how it made me feel, and if he did, well, then it would be a cruel joke.

"Aw Isla, you're the sweetest, this is why I love ya."

"Because I compliment you?" I joke, and he laughs back, shaking his head, his wild hair falling into his eyes.

"No, just because you're the greatest." He slings an arm over my shoulder, guiding me over to a coach and flopping down on it. I see Adam and Michael pass, and I give them a quick wave, before directing my attention back to Dom. "It's nice to be home," he says, letting out a content sigh. "And it's nice having you at my show again! Remember when you used to come to every single one?"

"Yes, Dominic." Back when he was around, I did go to every show. I loved watching him perform, and we always got into some sort of trouble afterwards. They were some of my fondest memories, now few and far between as he was busy constantly recording and touring. It was my first time seeing him in months, but as usual, once we were together everything fell back into rhythm. "I miss those days..."

"Me too..." He sits quietly for a moment. My mind flashes back to running around in the dark without shoes, drunken takeaway, nearly breaking my head open after he accidentally dropped me once while giving me a piggy back... I snap back to reality after seeing a glimpse of concern on Dominic's face.

"You alright Dom? It freaks me out when you're quiet," I reach over and smooth a stand of hair from his face. He makes a tutting sound and stands up, started to pace back and forth. "Seriously, what's goin on?"

"Okay, so this might be a bit of a crazy idea Isla, alright?"

I nod, waiting for him to go on with it. He starts fidgeting with his hands. "Well! Spit it out!"

"Well I'm going on tour over in the United States, right?" He stops the fidgeting for a moment, sitting down beside me again. "What if you came with me?"

I blink, mouth slightly agape. "Come with you?"

"Yeah!"

"Just... hop on the tour bus with you and drive off into the sunset?"

He lets out a loud laugh, nodding ecstatically. "Sure! Why not? It'll be like old times...you and me Isla, how 'bout it?" He cradles his chin in between his fists and pouts.

I thought for a moment. Obviously I wanted to jump on the opportunity, I wanted to take every moment with Dominic that I could. The idea of travelling all around a country with him was basically my dream, and I did miss seeing him every day, but could I actually do it? Just drop everything to run off with my best friend.

He stared at me expectantly with those puppy dog eyes, his bottom lip trembling slightly. It wasn't fair, I couldn't resist that.

"Okay."

"Okay?!" He leaps up. "You'll come?!"

"Yeah, sure, why-" Within a split second, he's picked me up and thrown me over his shoulder. "Dominic, put me down you absolute nut!"

It seemed like he was putting zero effort into carrying me around, as he started into a near sprint, yelling and screaming. "Isla is coming on tour! Everybody! Isla is coming on tour!" I felt the blood started to rush to my head, and my long auburn hair had nearly reached the floor. I tugged at Dominic's pant leg and let out a squeak. "Oops, sorry." He flips me over, placing my feet on the ground. "I'm so fookin excited!"

"I am too!" I laugh, stumbling slightly and grabbing on to his arm to steady myself.

"You need to get home! Pack your things! I'll sort out the plane ticket and all that, you just make sure you're ready to go in two days." He starts ushering me towards the nearest exit, that I believe only led to a sketchy alley area behind the venue.

"Two days?" My mind was swimming. What was I going to pack? What was I going to tell my Mother?

"Yes! Get goin!"

I had feeling that this was either going to be one of the best things to happen to me, or my biggest regret. Either way, it was too late to say no now... and with the look of happiness on Dom's face, I wouldn't anyways.


	2. 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚃𝚠𝚘 | 𝙷𝙴 𝙷𝙰𝚂 𝙰 𝚆𝙰𝚈 𝙾𝙵 𝙼𝙰𝙺𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝚃𝙷𝙸𝙽𝙶𝚂 𝙾𝙺𝙰𝚈

"Excuse me, you are doing what?!" 

"I know it sounds ridiculous Mum, trust me, but I think it'll be good for me to do something kind of outside my comfort zone. And you know Dominic, you know he'll take care of me." I pleaded, watching my Mother pace back and forth across the kitchen, her hand tangled in her hair. "And to be fair, I am an twenty two now, I can make my own decisions." 

She stops, turning to me with her lips pursed and her hands on her hips. "You'll be safe?"

"Yes, I swear." 

She closes her eyes, letting out a long sigh, seemingly trying to level herself out. "Okay. But you have to call me every single day." 

"I will!" I promise, wrapping my Mum in a hug. "And I'll send you lots of pictures!" 

My mom pulls away from my embrace, trying to hide a small smile on her face, giving me her 'serious' look instead. "And you better give me Dominic's number as well in case I can't get a hold of you." 

"Sure thing!" I called out, already headed towards my bedroom in a flurry of excitement. "Now I need to start packing!" 

\--

The packing was short lived. 

I'd basically dumped every article of clothing I had onto the floor and was painstakingly sorting through every single item. My suitcase wasn't even half packed. How was I even supposed to know how much to pack for a whole tour? I debated just going out and buying a bigger suitcase and packing everything I owned. After a few hours of sitting on my floor, I finally dragged myself to bed, and passed out almost immediately. 

Almost as quickly as my head hid the pillow, the night had passed and I was jolted awake by the front door of the flat flying open, and Dominic screaming my name.

"Islaaaa! You home?" 

"Good lord, Dominic..." I heard my mother say from the living room. At this point she was used to his antics, so she barely had any reaction. "She's in her room." 

"Ah yeah, that makes sense doesn't it. Thanks Mrs. Kitson, good to see ya!" 

I groaned, lifting myself up from my bed and attempting to run my fingers through my knotted mess of hair. Before I can even stand up, my bedroom door flies open.

"Morning sunshine!" Dom grins, sinking down into my bed beside me. "I'd ask how the packing is going but uhh... I can see it. Not great, honestly."

I roll my eyes, staring down at my mess strewn across the floor. "Well I don't know how much to pack, Dom! And I had to go to bed at some point." I kick at a t-shirt on my floor. "I'm still tired, by the way.

"Sorry, love." He lets out a chuckle, getting off the bed and crouching down at the floor, picking up one of my plaid skirts and turning it over in his hands, before throwing it haphazardly into the suitcase. "I can help you pack, if you want?" 

"Looks like you already are," I laugh, watching him rifle through my clothes, examining everything he picks up carefully, lips pressed together in a thoughtful pout, leaving some things on the floor and packing other things. I get off my bed, sitting on the floor in front of him. All I was wearing was a t-shirt and panties, but Dom didn't bat an eye. We'd seen each other nearly nude too many times to count, and his eyes never wandered. Sometimes I almost wished they would, but it was clear he had completely ruled me out sexually. 

"Well, we leave tomorrow morning, so you need all the help you can get."

"Tomorrow morning? Dominic! I thought you said I had two days." 

"Er... I meant we had two days until we land in L.A" He smiles sheepishly, throwing a pair of jeans into my suitcase. "Sorry, Isla." 

I roll my eyes and sigh. "Well, we better hurry then, right?" 

"Right!" He nods matter-of-factly, and gives a blue crop top a once over before throwing it to the side. 

"Hey!"

"What?" He looks over at me, tilting his head, his hair falling in front of his eyes. 

"I like that shirt!" 

"Eh, it's alright I suppose. But you have better options..." He looks around, holding up a black crop top with a criss-cross pattern across the boobs. "Like this! This is hot!" He holds it up to his own chest, shimmying at me and bursting into laughter.

"You're just picking stuff you wanna wear, you little sneak!" I slapped his knee. 

"No, not at all!" 

I raise my eyebrows at him, blinking slowly.

"I mean... unless you're offering." He winks, putting it into the suitcase.

We go back and forth like this for a while, nearly filling the suitcase as quickly as we can in between bouts of laughter. At the bottom of the pile was all my socks and underwear, and I started to pack whatever I could grab, not too keen on the idea of having Dominic judge my ratty old bras.

"Ooooo Isla, look at this saucy number..." I heard him wolf whistle, and look over to see his holding a strappy lingerie set in between his thumbs and forefingers, a cheeky smile on his face. "The tags are still on it!" 

I try to rip it from his hands, not embarrassed about the fact he was seeing it (I was sitting cross legged in front of him in my underwear, afterall), but embarrassed at the fact that I was so boring that I'd never even tried it on. Or maybe by the fact that part of me really wanting him to see me wear it. "Dominic! I just haven't... had the opportunity to wear it yet."

He balls the garment in his hands and puts it behind his back. "Well maybe you will on tour." He puts it into the suitcase, raising an eyebrow at me. "It's packed. Nothin you can do 'bout it now." 

I pause. "What do you mean maybe I will on tour?" 

"I dunno!" He shrugs his shoulders. The suitcase is finally full, and I shut it,watching him curiously. "Maybe you'll meet your soul mate out there or somethin." 

My heart falls, and I nod, plastering a fake smile on my face. "I dunno, Dom. Plenty people have seen me in less than that, and they were definitely not my soul mates. But I appreciate the vote of confidence." 

He shrugs, lifting himself off the floor. "Ya never know. I should probably head out though, say the rest of my goodbyes and all that." He stuffs his hands in the pockets of his dark jeans. "I'll be here to pick you up bright and early tomorrow morning!" 

"Okay..." I smile weakly, standing up and wrapping my arms around his neck. He returns the hug quickly. "See you then." 

"Bye, Isla." He says, opening my bedroom door and smiling. "I still can't believe you're coming. This is gonna be the best." He waves quickly, before turning and heading out. 

\--

The time flew between packing and Dom picking me up for the airport. I spent virtually the entire time re-checking my suitcase, pacing back and forth, and texting Dom for every single flight detail. I'd never been on such a long plane ride, and the idea of it was making me queasy. 

Dom and I were in the back of the car on the airport, and it seemed he could sense my nervous energy... not that it was hard to miss, with the rate my legs were shaking up and down.

"Isla..." 

I look over, and Dominic rests a hand on my knee, steadying my leg. His eyes are concerned, which was not a look from him I was used to. "Yes?" 

"You alright?" 

"Yeah, I'm just nervous. How long is the flight again? Like, twelve hours or something?" My breath is starting to become rapid, and Dom starts stroking my knee with his thumb.

"Something like that." 

"Jesus fucking Christ, I should have taken a fucking Xanax..." 

"Isla." He says, his tone serious. He moves his hand from my knee to my shoulder, giving it a supportive squeeze. "It'll be alright. It's not as bad as you think, and I'll be beside you the whole time. We'll watch a movie or something, you can go back to sleep even if ya want. I'll let you use my shoulder as a pillow and everything." 

I nod, too nervous to fully meet his gaze.

"Okay? Look at me." 

I obliged, finally looking in his eyes. He smiled slightly, and I felt my breath starting to slow. It wasn't often that I freaked out, but when I did, he always had a way with calming me down. "I'm lookin'." 

"Good. You'll be alright. I promise." 

"Thanks Dom." 

I could see the airport fast approaching from my window. 

"You ready?" Dom asked, giving my shoulder another squeeze.

"As ready as I'm gonna be."


	3. 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚃𝚑𝚛𝚎𝚎 | 𝙲𝙰𝚄𝙶𝙷𝚃 𝚄𝙿 𝙸𝙽 𝚈𝙾𝚄

The initial take off was incredibly rough. I felt like I was going to burst into tears, pull the emergency door and run, and pass out all at once. As usual, however, Dom kept his word and the two of us watched not one, but two movies... or rather, one and a half, and then I fell fast asleep against him. 

I awoke to a gentle nudge, and a few mumbled words. I blinked a few times, trying to readjust to the world of the living. "Hmm?" 

"Hey..." Dom said, smiling softly. "We have 'bout an hour till we land." 

"Oh good," I yawned, straightening up and stretching my arms over my head. "Then what?" 

"Well we gotta get the tour bus, but after that... nothin. The day's free." He shrugged, looking out the airplane window. "Colson wanted me to go visit him, so I might do that." 

"Colson?" I'd heard the name before, but in my half asleep daze I couldn't place it. "That's... Machine Gun Kelly, right?" 

"Yup, he's a cool dude. I think you'd like him, honestly." Dom playfully nudged my shoulder, eyebrows raised. 

"Dunno what you mean by that..." I rolled my eyes, feeling a pain in my chest at the suggestion of him setting me up with one of his friends. I knew he only meant well, but it hurt nonetheless. 

"Sure ya don't..." He winked, shifting in his airplane seat. "God, I can't wait to get off this thing. I didn't sleep at all, I'm fookin exhausted." 

I leaned past him, looking out the window. All I could see were the clouds we were travelling through, but I could tell it was bright out. "I'm sure the jet lag is gonna be just wonderful." 

He smiled, and then yawned, stretching briefly. "Always is, love." 

"Lookin' forward to it." I laughed, smiling over at Dom. I found myself staring at him, his wild hair, his tired eyes with smudges of yesterday's eyeliner staring back at me... I wanted so badly to lean over, bring his face to mine and kiss him... but I knew it would never happen. I broke my gaze, staring down at my hands folded in my lap. 

"I'm looking forward to all of this!" The short period of sleepiness was over and he was back to his normal, hyperactive self. "I'm so glad you're here with me, Isla. This is gonna be the best time! We're gonna have so much fun!" He grabbed my hand, grasping it tightly. I gave him a quick squeeze in response.

"Yeah. I'm happy too." I smiled weakly. "Hey... Dom?"

"Mmhmm?" 

I opened my mouth to speak. I wanted to ask if he'd hold my hand when the plane landed, because it freaked me out. I wanted to ask if he really wanted to set me up with Colson. I wanted to say a lot of things that I just couldn't bring myself to say. "Nothin. I forgot." 

"Oh, okay." He just shrugged and grinned.

Blissfully unaware, as always.

\--

Once the plane landed, we were swiftly driven off to a parking garage where the tour bus was being housed. It was a bit surreal seeing the vehicle I was going to be calling home for the next few months, and even weirder being inside. The beds were little pods stacked on top of each other, and I quickly claimed the one below Dom.

"So... what do you think?" Dom asked, smacking the side of the bed. 

"I think... it will take some getting used to, but I'm excited for it." 

"Right on man! That is the attitude to have!" He laughed, wandering down the aisle of the bus to the living room/kitchen area, and flopped down onto one of the couches. "It's pretty homey, honestly." 

I sat down beside him, gazing around. "Yeah, I definitely don't hate it." 

He leaned over to me, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me closer. "This is so sick, it's gonna be like a sleepover party every night!" 

"A travelling sleepover party." I laugh, resting my head on his shoulder.

"Yes! Exactly!" He laughed, holding his hand up for a high five, which I quickly reciprocated. His phone chimed in his pocket, and he let go of me to fish it out. "Oh! It's Colson. I said I was gonna message him when I got in and I forgot..." He started typing up a message, brow furrowed in thought. 

"Oh? What does he have to say?" I asked, peeking over his shoulder. 

"Wants me to come over..." He mumbled, locking his phone and shoving it back into pocket. "I think I'm gonna head over there, do you wanna come?" 

The idea of being virtually alone (other than the band and crew) in a foreign country was a bit scary to me, but the idea of going to the house of some rapper I had never met before was even scarier. "I dunno Dom, I think that's a lot for one day. But you can go, I don't mind." 

"Well if you're sure." He says, standing up and stretching his arms above his head. His shirt had ridden up and his midsection was bare, and I was trying really hard not to look at it. "I won't be too long, I'm fookin beat." 

"Okay, I'll see you in a bit then." I smiled, crawling into my bunk and laying back, half propped up on one elbow. "Behave yourself, Dominic." 

"C'mon Isla, you know I won't do that." He grinned and winked, before turning with a wave and leaving the tour bus. 

\--

After a few hours of laying around on my phone, doing a deep dive on restaurants within a walking distance of where we were parked, I heard the familiar fast-paced yelling of Dominic chatting to someone from outside. I sat up and wandered down to the couches just in time to see him storm in, hollering out his goodbyes to the road tech he was talking to. 

"Hey, you." I said, flopping down onto the couch, gesturing for him to sit down beside me. 

"Ayyyy, did ya miss me?" He asked, smiling sweetly as he sat down, resting his head against my shoulder.

"Of course I did..." I mumbled, running my hand quickly through his hair. "You left me alllll alone in a far away land." I joked, grinning down at him.

"Hey! You were invited!" He playfully slapped my knee, moving to face me instead. "Honestly Isla, you really should have come." 

"And why is that, Dominic?" I asked, tilting my head and staring into his eyes, trying to hide how I was basically just sitting there admiring his features. 

"Colson is awesome, I think you'd really like him, I guess." He shrugged, giving me his best go of a 'serious look'. "I think he's coming to the show tomorrow, so you can hang out with him back stage!" 

I sighed, nodding my head. "Oh, joy."

"You don't have to be shy, Isla. He's a nice guy, I promise you that." Dom said, stifling a yawn.

"I believe you, I'm looking forward to it." I wasn't entirely lying, but I wasn't telling the truth either. The idea of meeting Colson wasn't awful, but I tended to be a bit shy, and I wasn't sure how my personality would mesh with the likes of 'famous' people. However, if Dominic was so fond of him, he had to be a decent guy. "Hey Dom?" 

"Mmmhmm?" He said, his normally bright eyes slightly hooded with exhaustion.

"I was looking up places to eat around here, there's a Chinese food place not too far... Do you wanna go get a bite to eat with me?" 

His happy expression faltered for a second, and he shrugged his shoulders. "Uh, I would but I'm just so tired... I'm sorry, Isla." 

I knew I had no reason to be let down or upset, but I couldn't help it. He was tired, he had every reason to be tired, but I just wanted so badly to spend some time with him, eating food and goofing off. We were going to be together virtually 24/7 on this tour, and yet somehow it wasn't enough. "Oh... well, that's alright Dom. Another night then." 

"For sure!" He grinned, standing up and patting his thighs. "On that note, I'm gonna head to sleep. I'll see you in the morning. Maybe we'll go for breakfast?" 

Immediately I perked up, nodding excitedly. "Okay, deal." 

"Perfect. Night, Isla." 

"Goodnight, Dom." 

And with that, we walked over to our respective sleeping pods, crawled in, and within half an hour I could hear the sound of Dom's soft snoring, mine almost surely following right after.


	4. 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝙵𝚘𝚞𝚛 | 𝚂𝙻𝙾𝚆 𝙱𝚄𝚁𝙽

It was the night of the first show, and Dom and I were sitting backstage. I could hear the crowd murmuring from outside as the techs finished up setting up the stage. The show was due to start in only about twenty minutes, and the nervous energy was radiating off every crew member. 

"Are you excited?" I asked, taking both of Dom's hands in mine. "Nervous?"

"A bit of both, really..." He said, squeezing my hands. He took one and ran it through his hair. "How are you feeling?" 

"Excited to see the show." I answered with a smile. "Hey you, come here..." I grabbed his chin and pulled his face over, reaching into my purse and grabbing a tube of deep red lipstick. I could feel the muscles in his cheek pull up into a smile against my fingers. 

"Doin my makeup now, are ya?" He pouted, closing his eyes and pointing at his lips. I laughed as I applied the lipstick, holding his face in my hand, running my thumb along his cheek bone. He grabbed the lipstick from my hand, and I let go of his face, semi reluctantly. "Let me do you."

I nodded, tilting my head toward his hand, which he took. I could feel the scratch of his calloused fingers against my cheek. He very carefully rubbed the lipstick across my lips, stopping every few seconds to make sure he was doing a sufficient job. Once he was done he smiled, placing a kiss on my cheek with a loud "muah".

"Dom!" I raised my hand to my face, lightly touching the lipstick mark on my face. "Jokes on you, now everyone is gonna know you've been smoochin' me." I teased, and he laughed and shrugged, grabbing his phone from his pocket. 

"I don't mind..." He said, tapping on the Instagram icon and holding the phone out, holding out a peaces sign as he snapped a picture for his story. "See? Now everyone can see it." 

I smiled, a blush rising to my cheeks. Before I could say anything, I heard someone calling Dom's name. 

"Guess I need to get going here." He said, standing up and peering over at the stage. "I'll see you in a bit." 

"Good luck!" I watched him walk off, putting my hand up to my cheek again, the spot where his lips had touched still tingling. 

\--

It was about fourty-five minutes into the set, and I was peeking out from backstage, watching fondly as I always did. Somehow, even above the noise of the crowd and the guitars, I heard loud footsteps from behind me. I was used to the constant running around backstage, so I didn't bother turning until I heard a low voice. 

"Hey, you're Isla, right?" 

I jumped slightly, not used to being approached, and turned to look at the man behind the voice. He was tall, probably a whole foot taller than me, blue eyes and bleached hair. He was wearing a red button-down shirt barely done up, chains hanging down over his tattooed chest, black paint-spattered jeans, and black high tops. I'd seen photos of him before and found him attractive, but seeing him in person... well, he was gorgeous.

"Uh yeah, hi. I'm guessing you're Colson?" 

"You got it." He said, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms over his chest. "Dom told me all about you." 

"Good things I hope?" I laughed, my back now completely turned from the stage. I had my head craned upwards to look Colson in the eyes, trying not to stare and fawn over them. I did notice men other than Dominic, but it never really went anywhere. A few late night booty-calls or dinner dates, and then they were gone. 

"Oh yeah, all good things. Didn't mention how cute you were though." His lips turned up in a smirk, and I could already feel myself blushing. The confidence exuding from him made me almost more comfortable, like he could pick up the slack from my insecurities. 

"Well, thank you." 

"It's pretty loud right here, wanna hang back and have a drink with me?" He asked, gesturing over his shoulder at the couches behind us. I nodded, following after him. There was already a bottle of whiskey on one of the side tables. I sat down beside him, and he grabbed the bottle, taking a swig and passing it to me. "You like whiskey?" 

I shrugged, knocking back a shot and passing it back. "It isn't necessarily my favourite, but it'll do." I smiled, and he raised an eyebrow at me.

"A woman after my own heart," he crossed one leg over the other, staring at me with a tiny smile on his face. "Dom's gonna be pissed at me, I showed up late and now I've stolen his girl." 

"I'm not his girl." I said, grabbing the bottle once again. "We're just friends." 

"Perfect, so I won't be stepping on any toes then." He held his face in his hand, framing his features with his pointer finger on his eyebrow and his thumb on his chin. 

"Are you always this forward?" I asked feeling the burn of the alcohol in my throat. 

"Honestly, yeah..." he laughed, shrugging his shoulders. "Is it working?" 

I sighed, sucking my bottom lip in between my teeth. "I'll neither confirm nor deny."

"Well, that sounds promising to me." 

I smiled shyly, sipping on the whiskey, when a tech rushed over to us, a guitar and ear piece in hand. 

"Hey man, I Think I'm Okay is coming up soon, you ready to get set up?" 

"Yeah for sure," Colson said, standing up, turning to head towards the stage. "See you in a few, Isla..." he grabbed the bottle from my hand, took a swig, then handed it back to me. "You can have as much of that as you want by the way, I'm a gentleman." 

"Thanks, Colson," I said, and he winked at me before turning and heading to the stage. 

\--

By the time Colson came back, I was drunk. It was mostly by accident. They played the song, but he didn't come back right away, and I just kept sipping the whiskey until it was a little less than half empty. I was trying to not make it obvious, but I think he picked it up right away. He was staring at me in amusement, resting his chin on his hands as I babbled on about random nonsense. 

"You're too funny, girl," he said, finishing off the bottle in one long gulp. He winced at the taste as he set it down. "You and Dom are a lot a like, you talk the same." 

"Really? I guess it makes sense, we are the best of best friends after all..." I slurred. I was so out of it I hadn't even heard Dominic saying goodnight to the crowd, or noticed the volume of the venue going all the way down. I only noticed when he bounded over to us, buzzing with energy, yelling and hollering. 

"Colson! Isla!" 

Colson inched away from me slightly when he noticed Dom, and I gave him a look which he quickly ignored. 

"What's up man?" Colson said, getting off the couch and wrapping him in a hug. "That was so sick!"

"Yeah it was! Thank you so much for coming man, I really appreciate it." Dom said, letting go of Colson and sitting down beside me. "What did you think, Isla?" 

"You guys were great," I said, trying not to let him see my level of intoxication, but I knew he'd see right through it. He knew me too well. 

"Are you drunk?" He asked, laughing and nudging my shoulder. 

"No! Just maybe a little tipsy, s'all." I mumbled, looking over to Colson who shrugged, almost as if to say 'hey, not my fault'. He was standing to the side of us, arms crossed across his chest. 

"It's all good, love. It is a night for celebration, kicking off the new tour and all," Dom said, looking at me. His brow was furrowed for a moment, then he recovered and was right back to his normal sunny disposition. 

In that moment, I couldn't understand why Colson had moved away from me. Normally, I wanted to be right beside Dom, I wanted to be in his bubble, absorbing his energy, but right in that moment, I wanted Colson. He was giving me attention, he was telling me how pretty I was, how he wanted me to be around me as well. I stood up, stumbling over to him, and he immediately reached his arm out, which I grabbed on to. 

"You alright?" He asked, and I could feel his breath hot against my ear as he held me up, snaking the other arm around my waist. 

"Mmmhmm," I mumbled, pressing my head against his mostly bare chest. 

"Isla..." I heard Dom's voice from behind me, and felt another pair of hands on my waist. "Why don't I take you to bed? You can have a little rest then come back and hang out with us if you want." 

He knew I wouldn't be so willing to just ditch the party, so he was playing right into my hands. I nodded slightly, falling from Colson's arms right to Dom's. 

"I'll see you soon, alright?" Colson said, nodding assuringly at me as I was being carted off back to the tour bus. If I had been sober enough to feel stupid, I surely would have, but in that moment the only thing on my mind was how nice crawling into bed would feel. 

"Yeah okay, I'll be up in a bit," I smiled back to him, feeling Dom grip my waist tighter. 

We managed to sneak me back in without being bombarded by fans, and Dom led me to my bed, which I eagerly crawled into, snuggling into the covers. He crouched down beside me, his face beside mine, chin resting on the back of his hand. 

"You alright?" He asked, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

"I'm fine Dom, just maaaaybe had a little too much whiskey," I laughed. My head was spinning, but I was trying hard to ignore it. 

"Okay, you know you can tell me if you need anything if you're not alright, right?"

"Of course I do. You're my best friend." 

He was silent for a moment, a slightly sad smile on his face. "I love you, Isla." 

"I love you too, Dom." 

My eyes were falling shut despite my best efforts. Dom leaned in and kissed my cheek, before getting to his feet and leaving the bus.


	5. 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝙵𝚒𝚟𝚎 | 𝚆𝙸𝙻𝙳 𝙻𝙸𝙵𝙴

I awoke to the sound of voices, my head spinning, not sure where exactly I was, what time it was, or how I'd even managed to get there. I yawned, glancing down at my phone and seeing it was just past midnight. I sat up, the dizziness of the alcohol hitting once again. I was about to pop out of my bunk and head towards the chatter, when I heard my name.

"Yeah man, Isla's cool. I see why you two get along so well." It was Colson's voice. I laid back down, not making too much noise so that I could listen in, which was admittedly not very cool of me to do, but curiosity took over. "I didn't get a chance to get too deep in conversation with her before the whiskey took over, but even then she was pretty funny." 

Dom laughed. "Yeah, she's great. That's why I brought her along, she's my best mate." 

"She's not hard on the eyes either. Have you ever thought of...ya know..." 

"Isla and me? Nah, man. She's my friend, that's it. I wouldn't wanna muck with that, ya know?" 

"Yeah, for sure, I get that. I've messed up a few friendships that way, not worth it." 

I sat there in silence, feeling a dull pain in my chest at his words. I waited until the conversation had completely switched tones, and then I exited my bunk, wobbling down towards the boys. 

"Oh, hey love!" Dom said, grinning as he noticed me. I ran my fingers through my wild hair, trying to tame a few rogue knots. I probably looked nuts, with my messy hair and smeared makeup. "Feelin alright?" 

I nodded, sitting down beside him on one of the couches. Colson was sitting opposite of us, and he glanced up and down at me, making sure I noticed him doing it. He had another bottle open beside him, but by the way my stomach was turning, I could barely even look at the amber coloured liquid. 

"Thought we lost you there for a second," Colson said gruffly, tilting his head as he tapped the ash from the end of his joint into an empty beer can. 

"No, no... I'm fine."

"I think we're gonna get rolling out here soon, new day, new show man..." Dom said, looking between the two of us. His eyes were tired, but I could tell he was staying awake to spend time with his friend. 

"I know the feeling." Colson said, shrugging his shoulders. "I can get a car out of here whenever, make sure you guys are on schedule." 

Dom was silent for a moment, chin resting on his hands, brow furrowed in thought. "Or... you could come? Play the next few shows with me then fly back?" 

I laughed, nudging him in the shoulder. "Dom, you can't just invite every single person you know on this tour with you, you know that right?" 

"Why not! We can make room, you can sleep in my bed with me, Colson can take yours... It wouldn't be for the whole thing, just until he has to head back." Dom was smiling from ear to ear, sitting on the very edge of his seat, staring at Colson expectantly. 

Colson laughed and shrugged. He glanced over at me, our eyes meeting for a brief moment, the corner of his lips twitching upwards into a smirk. "I'm down. Why the fuck not?" 

"Fuck yeah! This is the best time!" Dom clapped his hands together, wrapping one arm about my shoulder and pulling me tight against his body. "Isn't this the best time, Isla?" 

"Best ever..." 

I had no qualms with Colson joining the tour. It seemed like fun, having another person to hang around with, not to mention the fact that he was a beautiful man who was paying me loads of compliments. I didn't mind the idea of sharing a bed with Dominic at all either. We had slept in the same bed plenty of times, and although it was always platonic, it was nice to wake up beside him. It seemed like an all around win-win situation to me. And seeing Dom so excited about it made my heart happy. 

"You're cool with sharing a bed with me?" He asked, and I nodded, rolling my eyes.

"Yes Dominic, as cool as I've been every other time."

"Perfect!" He let go of me, and headed to Colson to wrap him in a hug as well. I noticed him stifle a yawn, and raised an eyebrow at him when he caught my eye. As much as he always wanted to go, go, go, there was a point in time when I knew he needed to stop and recharge. Sometimes I knew before he did. 

"You tired, Dom?" I asked, leaning back against the couch. My head was still swimming, and although I wasn't as drunk as I was, I most definitely wasn't sober.

"Yeah, a bit... but I'm just so excited!" He flopped down beside me, yawning once again. Colson was sitting there quietly, drinking and smoking and looking on in amusement. "Now that you mention it, I should probably get some shut-eye though, eh?"

"Might not be a bad idea..." Colson said, looking at me rather than Dom. "Get some rest for the show tomorrow." 

He got to his feet, stretching briefly. "You gonna come cuddle, Isla?" He asked, nodding his head towards the beds. 

"Nah, I just woke up, silly. I'll come curl up with you in a bit though." I promised, and he smiled, nodding his head before turning around. 

"Alright, night you two. See ya in the morning." 

Neither Colson or I said anything for a moment, both waiting on Dom to get settled into bed. Once he stopped stirring in his bunk, Colson got up and sat down beside me. 

"Hey," he said, folding his arms across his chest.

"Hi there." 

"You alright?" He asked, casually draping an arm over my shoulder. I hesitated for a moment before sinking into his side. Even though we were both sitting down, I still had to look up at him to meet his gaze.

"Still a bit out of it, but at least I can stand now," I laughed. "Don't think I'll embarrass myself anymore." 

"You didn't embarrass yourself," he said with a shrug. "I thought it was... cute."

"Well thank you, Colson." I laughed slightly, leaning back into his arm. He started tracing circles on my shoulder with his thumb, and I shivered slightly. I felt a weird sense of guilt, almost like I was cheating on my own unrequited feelings. 

"Don't mention it, I'm only telling the truth," he coughed, dropping his finished joint into the can he had been using as an ashtray. "So... what do you think of me hanging around on this tour?" 

"I think..." I trailed off, stopping to think. "I think it's good. I think Dominic is really happy-"

"And you?" 

I smiled slightly, rolling my eyes, trying not to let on that I was falling for his cocky attitude. I was playing right into his hands. "Yeah, I suppose I am too. You seem decent enough to be around," I half joked, feeling his hand slide up the side of my neck. I froze against his touch, meeting his eyes as he leaned in to kiss me.

And I pulled away. 

"Easy..." I breathed out, resting my forehead briefly against his. His hand cradled the back of my head, but I didn't move any closer. Even with the alcohol, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. "I just met you." 

He let go, nodding his head. "Absolutely. I respect that." 

"Thank you," I smiled, looking down the length of the bus at the beds, knowing Dom was sleeping, or near it, in one of them. "I think I'm gonna go to sleep, though. I'll see you in the morning?" 

"Yeah, of course," Colson said, standing up. I followed suit. "I'll follow you, since I think I'm stealing your bed." 

"Oh yeah, of course..."

"You're not mad at me, right?" 

"Oh no, no... Of course not. I'm just still a bit drunk and sleepy." I smiled, beckoning for him to follow me. "This one is my bed, or yours now, I suppose." 

"Right on," Colson said, grimacing slightly as he fit his lanky frame into the small bed. "Have a good sleep." 

"You too." I waved, before crawling into Dom's bed. I was trying to be as slow and quiet as I could be as to not wake him. The bed was barely big enough for the both of us, but I squeezed in, turning my back to him. Without even missing a beat, or waking up, Dom threw his arm around my waist, pulling me close. Every soft sigh he let out slowly lulled me to sleep, until I was completely dead to the world.


	6. 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚂𝚒𝚡 | 𝙸 𝚆𝙸𝙻𝙻 𝙲𝙰𝚁𝙴 𝙵𝙾𝚁 𝚈𝙾𝚄

"Isla... psst, wake up..." 

I cracked an eye open, not at all in the mood to wake up yet, and rolled over onto my other side, suddenly practically nose to nose with Dom. He smiled slightly, his hair a beautiful mess, falling in front of his tired eyes. 

"What is it, Dominic?" I whispered, and he pulled me close for another quick cuddle before retracting his arm and taming his hair. 

"I dunno, I'm awake and I can't get out of bed until you do," he said, pushing my shoulder playfully. "You can go back to sleep once I get out, if you want." 

"Nah, I'll get up too..." I mumbled, rubbing my eyes and rolling back over, hopping out of the bed, Dom following quickly behind me. I wandered into the bathroom to brush my teeth and hair quickly before facing the world. I looked at myself in the mirror for a while, trying to decide if I should slap on some makeup before going to say hello to Colson. If it was just Dominic and I, I probably wouldn't have even bothered with my hair, but I wanted to look semi-nice now that Colson was here. 

"Isla! Quit hogging the bathroom, would ya?!" 

"Yeah, yeah, I'm heading out..." I called back, Dom running in after me as soon as I walked out. He shot me a grin and blew me a kiss, while I rolled my eyes. I paused, collecting my breath before heading over to the living area. 

Colson was already awake, sitting on the couch with a large mug of coffee in his hand, tapping mindlessly on his phone with his free hand. The shirt he was wearing last night had been abandoned, which I couldn't help but notice right away. He looked up when I walked in, and smiled slightly. "Mornin." 

"Good morning..." I said shyly, sitting down beside him. "Sleep well?" 

"Yeah, it wasn't bad. How about you?" 

"Ditto. It was a bit weird sleeping while the bus was moving, but I'm sure I'll get used to it." 

"Yeah, you will." Colson said, taking a long sip of his coffee. "Do you want a cup?" 

"I'm okay," I said, yawning. "I don't drink coffee." 

He raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "Fair enough. Seems like you need it though." 

I chuckled slightly, leaning a bit closer to him. "You might be right. I just don't like the taste." 

Dom came bounding out, the rings of black makeup surrounding his eyes from the night before now washed off. He looked bright and awake, ready to start the day. "How's it goin out here?" 

"Fine, man. How are you?"

"I'm great! Ready for the day, man!" Dom said, seating himself beside me and clapping his hands together. "What's the plan for the day?" 

"Well..." Colson started, coughing slightly and gazing down at his own bare torso. "Seeing as we left so quickly last night, I didn't pack... well, anything. So I was gonna do some shopping." 

"Oh shit man, I didn't even think of it!" Dom laughed loudly. "Too caught up in the moment, eh?" 

"Yeah, guess so... what about you guys?" His eyes flicked over to me quickly, before focusing back on Dom. 

I shrugged my shoulders, waiting for Dom to speak. Whatever he wanted to do, I'd follow his lead. 

"I dunno, probably just chill out, ya know... Do you guys wanna go out for dinner before the show or something?" Dom asked. 

"Sure, of course," I said, looking over to Colson. He was completely calm and quiet, his expression completely neutral. 

"I'm down," he answered, glancing down at his obviously expensive watch. "I'll get my shopping done, we can re-convene and get some food?" 

"Sounds good to me," I said, looking up at Colson, who smiled softly back at me. We were all silent for a moment, before Dom let out a small noise, a mixture between a cough and squeak. 

I turned to look at him. I couldn't read the expression on his face, but his brow was furrowed, and his mouth was in a straight line. There was a tension in the air, and I was seated right in the middle of it. 

"Well... I'm going to go get ready," I said, getting up and leaving the two boys on the couch, hopefully leaving the uncomfortable atmosphere there. 

\--

The rest of the day went by painfully slowly. Dom was quiet and contemplative, spending most of the time writing in a notebook and strumming thoughtfully at his guitar, while I hung back, watching him some of the time, and spending the rest staring at my phone. 

I picked a place for us all to eat, Dom texted Colson the time and address for him to meet us there when he was done restocking his wardrobe. 

I wasn't sure what I was expecting of Colson's shopping trip, but I certainly didn't expect it to take until dinner time. But it did. And then some. 

Dom and I were sitting in a booth at the back of the restaurant, facing each other and sipping the beer we'd ordered, waiting semi-impatiently. 

"How long does it take to pick out some clothes!" Dom said, sighing, looking over at me almost apologetically. 

"I dunno, Dom. You did drag him out here without even giving him time to grab a tooth brush," I teased, knocking back a long sip of beer. 

"It's not my fault! He could have always packed and then caught up to us later!"

"I know, I know, I'm just buggin' you." I smiled at him, and he grinned back, rolling his eyes playfully. 

"Can I ask you something?" His smile fell slightly, and his voice took on a bit more serious tone, which was scary to me. I was so used to him always being happy towards me, even when he was upset about other things, he tended to always throw on a brave face when I was around.

"Yeah, of course. Everything alright?" 

"Yeah, yeah... everything is fine. I'm just kinda wondering..." He trailed off, picking at his nails nervously. "Are you like, into Colson?" 

i nearly choked on the sip of beer I was taking. I took a second to regain some composure, while Dom looked at me expectantly. "Why do you ask?"  
"I'm just wondering, mostly. I just don't want you to get hurt." Dom shrugged, avoiding my gaze, tracing circles on the table with his finger. 

"I thought you wanted me to meet him? I thought you said I'd like him?" 

"Well... yeah... I just didn't think-"

"Didn't think what, Dominic?" I scoffed, leaning back against my side of the booth, trying to create as much distance between us as I could. "Didn't think someone like that would be interested in me?"

"No, Isla, of course not! Why would you say that?" He reached over to grab at my hand, and I pulled away. His eyes met mine briefly, his expression pleading. "I didn't mean it like that. I knew you two would get along, and I thought that would be good. I just don't want you to get attached to him and then go home, do you know what I'm saying?" 

My harsh expression softened as I considered his words, and I nodded slightly. Maybe it was because I was tired, or stressed, or maybe it was just my feelings for him rearing their ugly head, but I realized that jumping ot the offense when he hadn't even said anything particularly wrong wasn't fair. "I can take care of myself, you know," I murmered, feeling a little embarassed.   
"I know you can, Isla..." Dom reached out for my hand again, and this time, I let him take it. "It's just... sometimes I guess... I like taking care of you, too." 

I was silent for a moment, just holding his hand. The corner of his mouth turned up in a half smile, and my heart lurched. I opened my mouth to speak, but then I saw the waitress walking towards us, and Colson's lanky frame following slowly behind her.

"Hey, sorry I'm late guys," He said, sitting down beside Dominic, who let go of my hand instantly. "Did I miss anything?" 

"Nah, nothing at all mate." Dom said, resting his head on his hand, turning away from me. "Just waiting for you. Let's get some food and get out of here!"

I downed the rest of my beer, feeling for the first time that maybe that conversation we had just had, and Dominic's hand in mine, was perhaps just a little bit more than 'nothing'.


	7. 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚂𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 | 𝚆𝙷𝚈 𝙳𝙾𝙽'𝚃 𝚆𝙴 𝙶𝙾 𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚁𝙴?

Due to Colson's lateness, we didn't have very much time to converse at the restaurant. We basically just ordered a bunch of food, shovelled it down, and sped urgently back to the concert venue. 

I couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy. There was a weird vibe between the three of us that I was trying to ignore, but I just couldn't shake it. For the first time since I'd met Dominic, I was almost anxious to be around him. He wasn't acting terribly different, just a slight bit more quiet towards me, but I could feel it, and it drove me nuts. Once Dom hopped on stage, I breathed a sigh of relief, hanging back with Colson rather than watching at the side of the stage. 

"Everything good?" Colson asked, and I jumped slightly. I was completely zoned out, lost in my own head. 

"Yeah... Why do you ask?" I folded my arms over my chest, looking up at him. 

"You just seem weird. You and Dom both seem weird." He shrugged, his eyes fixed on me. 

"Do we?" I laughed weakly, trying to act like I had no idea what he was talking about. "How do you mean?" 

"I dunno how to word it. Just weird." 

I pursed my lips, tilting my head. "Well, I'm sorry." 

"It's nothing to be sorry about, I just wanted to make sure everything is cool..." He trailed off, squinting slightly. "Can I ask you something?" 

"Of course." 

"Okay, correct me if I'm wrong... I might be completely off base here..." Colson smirked slightly, as if he knew a secret I didn't. "But you're like, way into Dom, aren't you?" 

I froze for a moment, my mouth opening and closing a few times before I could form a sentence. "No, he's my friend. Why do you ask?" 

"If you say so, but I think you're lying," he winked, stepping a bit closer to me. "You can tell me. I see the way you look at him, so I think I already know." 

I stood there silently, tapping my foot against the floor. I started to wonder, if it had been so obvious to Colson, was it just as obvious to everyone else? I sighed heavily, trying to re-gather my thoughts. "I mean... yeah, I've always had a school girl crush on him, but that's all it is." 

Colson smiled and nodded, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Interesting..."

"Is it? Why?" 

"I was just curious, honestly. When Dom told me he brought a girl with him on tour I was kinda confused... Figured there was something going on between you two." He shrugged.

"And then he quickly corrected you, or what?" I asked, rolling my eyes. Dom's words, insisting we were only friends ran through my head once again, making me just as sick to my stomach as the first time I heard them. 

"No, not like that..." He put a hand on my shoulder, drawing my body a bit closer to his. I almost resisted, just out of habit, before melting into his touch. "He did say you guys were just friends, but he wasn't rude about it or anything." 

"Yeah, I didn't figure he would, he's too nice for that," I said with a sigh. "It is what it is. I realized a long time ago that it would never happen, and I'm okay with that. If he knows how I feel, he has never mentioned it. I'm fine with just keeping it my dirty little secret. It's never going to happen." 

Colson was quiet, stroking his thumb up and down my shoulder, thinking. "Well, as long as you're okay with that. I'm not sure what else to say." 

We were both silent for a moment, and I moved closer to him yet again, allowing him to sling his arm around my shoulder. I was feeling surprisingly vulnerable, as I felt like I needed comfort, shelter. I had never really said the words out loud to anyone before, let alone someone who was basically a stranger. In a way, that seemed almost better. 

"Isla..." 

"Mmhmm?" 

"I just wanted to say, I hope you don't feel put out by the fact Dom isn't into you." His voice was soft, soothing. I could hear Dom's singing voice ringing throughout the venue, and it sent a shiver through my body, which I pushed to the back of my mind. I was missing out on other people because I was so desperately in love with him. People who could be right in front of me. "Cause ya know... I'm kinda into you." 

I giggled, a blush rising onto my cheeks. I snaked my arm around his waist, having to lean upwards a bit because he was so much taller than I was. "I'm kinda into you too, honestly. But I think you knew that." 

"I don't think either of us has really tried to hide it," Colson chuckled, looking down at me. I reached up, cupping his cheek in my hand. As hesitant as I had been to kiss him before, I felt like I had nothing to lose now, that it didn't matter anyway. 

He leaned down, touching his forehead to mine and staring into my eyes quickly, before catching his lips on mine. 

I sighed into the kiss, my chest tight, the unnerving guilt creeping back into my body again. It was irrational. It made no sense, but it lingered in the back of my mind. Although I knew there was no chance, the moment our lips touched, I felt as I was breaking an unspoken promise I'd made to Dominic. I broke away, sinking back down onto my heels. I noticed then that I couldn't hear Dominic's voice anymore.

I turned, my hand resting on the side of Colson's neck, to see Dominic standing there, his guitar still hanging off his neck, a look on his face that I couldn't place. A mixture of confusion... and maybe disappointment. "Hey, guys..."


	8. 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝙴𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 | 𝚃𝙾𝙽𝙶𝚄𝙴 𝚃𝙸𝙴𝙳

"Dom... I uh, the show pretty much just started, everything alright?" I said, my voice coming out as a nervous squeak. He'd seen me with men before, and never seemed to have a reaction. His eyes were flicking back and forth between Colson and I, before he took a step back.

"Yeah, I was just gonna grab Colson," he gestured to him, who removed his hands from me, and headed over to Dom. He shot me an apologetic glance, and the two of them headed back to the stage, Dominic not even bothering to give me a second look. 

They went out and played their song, while I sat back, my heart pounding in my ears. I couldn't sort out how I was feeling, especially after the way Dom had looked at Colson and I. It scared me, not knowing what he was thinking, and the idea of him being angry at me made me sick to my stomach. 

Colson wandered back afterwards, immediately hooking his arm around my waist. I let out a long sigh, nuzzling my head into his chest, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"You alright?" He breathed into my ear, rubbing my back lightly. 

"Yeah, I'm fine." I pulled away from the hug, letting my hands rest at his sides. "Did Dom seem mad to you?" 

Colson paused, looking thoughtful for a moment. "He did seem a bit off, I guess."

"Yeah... that's what I thought." 

"I wouldn't worry too much about it. He's probably just confused, maybe feeling a bit protective over you. I talked to him a little bit about thinking you're cute and he seemed a bit weird about it." He said, shrugging his shoulders. 

"Yeah, maybe..." 

"C'mon, girl," he said, taking my hand and leading me to a place to sit. "I could talk to him, if you want?" 

We sat down on a couch, and I leaned back, throwing my legs over Colson's. "Nah, it's okay. You're right, he's probably just a bit taken aback." 

"Exactly." His thumb gently traced circles on my thigh, while I lay there, nervously playing with my hair. Suddenly, he got up, crouching over me. I scooted up the couch so I was sitting up, and tilted my head at him curiously. 

"Yeah?" 

He reached out, cradling my face in his hands, and kissed me again. I hesitated for a moment, before giving in to the kiss, running my hands through his short, bleached hair. It felt good to be in someone's arms, to feel attractive and wanted... but I couldn't shake the feeling in the pit of my stomach that something was wrong.

\--

Colson and I had migrated back to the bus by the time the concert had ended. I was being possibly over cautious, sitting completely opposite him when Dominic came in, the normal bounce to his step missing. 

"Hey, Dom..." I said quietly, and he glanced over to me, but only briefly, before sitting down beside Colson. 

"Hey, guys." 

"How did the rest of the show go?" Colson asked, and the two of them clasped their hands together is some sort of weird 'bro' handshake. 

"It was good! Thanks for comin out with me again," Dom said, grinning at Colson. I sat there, hugging my knees up to my chest and just watching the two interact. 

"No problem, man! It's always a lot of fun." 

"Dom..." I said, interrupting their chatter. "Can I talk to you, maybe?" 

He didn't even turn his head to look at me, just flicking his eyes over to me quickly. I almost felt like I was going to cry, I wasn't used to him being upset with me, or awkward around me. Colson caught me eye, seeming to pick up how upset I was getting, and he tilted his head, furrowing his eyebrows. 

"Nah, not right now, Isla." Dom said, his voice quiet, wavering slightly. "Maybe in a bit." 

"Okay..."  
There was an awkward silence, until Colson stood up, roughly clearing his throat. "I'm gonna head out for a smoke and some fresh air."

Dom looked up, a small frown on his face. "Okay... I was thinking of going to bed, I'm just really tired tonight. Isla, you coming?" 

I sat there for a moment, just thinking. I could feel Colson's eyes on me, and I looked up at him. Even though he didn't say anything, I could tell he was waiting for me to follow him off the bus. 

"I'll be there in a little bit, okay?" I said quietly, getting up to follow Colson. I didn't have the courage to watch Dom's reaction. 

"Okay, well goodnight you two." Dom said, smiling lightly. Colson waved at him before hopping off the bus, me right behind him. 

I protectively wrapped my arms around myself, adjusting to the cooler outside air. We stood there silently, before Colson popped a cigarette into his mouth, lighting it and taking a long drag. 

"Well..." He started, eyebrows raised. "I guess you were right about Dom being in a mood." 

"Yeah, I guess..." I sighed, staring down at my feet. "I'm going to try to talk to him when I go to bed." 

"That might be a good idea. I'm sure he'll be fine, though." 

"Yeah..." 

Colson smirked, ashing his cigarette and stepping closer to me. "You look really nice tonight, by the way." 

I chuckled slightly, leaning up to place a kiss on his jaw bone, as that was all that I could reach. "Thank you. You're not half bad yourself." 

"Well thank you, too." He said, reaching his free hand down and 'subtly' cupping my ass. I leaned my body against him, savoring the contact while he finished his smoke. "Bed time?" 

"Bed time," I said with a sigh, turning to climb back onto the bus. I wasn't looking forward to chatting to Dominic. It was completely foreign to me, us not getting along. I didn't know how to deal. 

Colson gave me a quick hug, and a kiss on the top of my head while we exchanged goodnights, and I crawled up into Dominic's bed. At first, I thought he was sleeping. His eyes were shut, and his lips slightly open, his chest rising and falling with soft breaths. I watched him for a moment, feeling every emotion all at once. The utter love and connection I had to him, the fear of him being angry at me, or hurting him in some way, the guilt I had for my attraction to Colson. I brought my hand to his face, brushing his hair from his forehad. 

Suddenly, he cracked one eye open, raising his hand to my wrist, then intertwining our fingers. 

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up," I whispered, giving his hand a slight squeeze.

"S'alright..." He mumbled, closing his eyes once again. "Isla?" 

"Mmhmm?" 

"C'mere." 

He wrapped his arms around my waist, holding me so tightly I nearly couldn't breathe for a moment. I rested my head on his chest, and he buried his head into my hair. His hands travelled up my body, squeezing my shoulders. It was like he was almost desperate, as if he needed to feel me to make sure I was still there, like I was going to blow away in the wind. 

"Is everything alright?" I asked him, snaking my arms up his back, reciporicating the hug. 

"Yeah... Don't worry 'bout it." 

"Okay..." 

I lay there, wrapped tightly against him, having no idea what the hell was going on his head... and quite frankly, I didn't know what was going on in mine either.


End file.
